2023 Chevrolet Colorado: What's It Like to Live With?
This is our one-year test of the Colorado Z71. We have 20,000 miles with Chevrolet's redesigned midsize truck.
| Miles Driven: | Average MPG: |
| 8,675 | 16.8 |
Latest Highlights
- Purchasing the newly redesigned Chevrolet Colorado was a no-brainer
- We opted for the penultimate trim level, the Z71 with Convenience packages II and III
- We've been disappointed by its fuel economy
What do you want to know about?
What We Got And Why
• Our test vehicle: 2023 Chevrolet Colorado 4WD Z71 Crew Cab
• Base MSRP: $39,900
• MSRP as tested: $48,445
• What we paid: $48,445
The highly competitive midsize truck segment is attracting consumers at a rapidly growing rate. Midsize trucks are only getting better and more practical. The Chevrolet Colorado is a prime example of a truck that can easily be used for tough work and still offer a comfortable ride for the daily commute. The 2023 Colorado kicks off the third generation of the truck. It arrives with a stout new exterior and improved cabin design. Gone is the V6 engine. Instead, Chevrolet decided to make the all-new Colorado available only with a turbocharged four-cylinder.
What Did We Get?
The Colorado looks great in every trim level and the specs are promising down the list, but we had to choose. We opted for the penultimate trim, the Z71 with Convenience packages II and III. The Z71 is a 4WD truck with plenty of features to go with its off-road chops. All 2023 Colorados come equipped with an eight-speed automatic mated to a turbocharged 2.7-liter inline-four that offers three different power outputs. Turbo (237 horsepower, 259 lb-ft of torque) is the base option. The Z71 comes standard with the Turbo Plus version of the four-banger and makes 310 hp and 391 lb-ft of torque. We upgraded to the top Turbo High-Output option, which is a recalibrated Turbo Plus that increases torque to 430 lb-ft. Our Colorado is equipped with 18-inch wheels wrapped in 32-inch Goodyear Wrangler all-terrain tires, an Eaton auto-locking rear differential, an AutoTrac two-speed transfer case, 120-volt bed-mounted power outlet and red recovery hooks up front. On the inside, you'll find an 8-inch digital instrument panel, an 11.3-inch LCD display with built-in Google compatibility, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and wireless phone charging.
Why Did We Get It?
The midsize truck segment is progressively becoming more popular, and it's about to get hotter than ever. The Colorado was redesigned for 2023. Two of its biggest rivals, the Ford Ranger and Toyota Tacoma, were also heavily updated. We plan to explore all of the Colorado's new capabilities and evaluate how it is to live with it day to day. We purchased an off-road-focused truck, so expect to see it put through its paces on the trails. We'll tow with it. There is already talk of a three-way comparison to decide which one is best. Stay tuned for that!
Edmunds purchased this vehicle for the purpose of evaluation.
Average lifetime mpg: 16.8
EPA mpg rating: 19 combined ( 17 city / 21 highway )
Best fill mpg: 20.5
Best range (miles): 356.8
Current odometer: 8,675
The Colorado's fuel economy has been disappointing so far
"The bad thing about the high-output engine is the mpg. It's supposed to get 19 mpg combined (17 city/21 highway) but so far, I'm hovering around 16-17 mpg. I actually got 19 mpg once (according to the trip meter) but we'll see if the math actually matches up. Hopefully it gets better." — Rex Tokeshi-Torres, associate manager of vehicle operations
The fuel economy has not gotten better
"The Chevrolet Colorado gets an EPA-estimated 19 mpg in combined driving. We're nearly halfway through our 20,000-mile test and ... that has not been the case. Our best fill netted us 21.3 mpg, which is in line with the Colorado's highway estimate. But our overall mpg of 16.8 is nearly 2 mpg lower than the EPA estimate. We don't expect phenomenal fuel economy on a pickup truck, but this has been disappointing." — Jake Sundstrom, editor
What do we think of the Chevrolet Colorado's engine?
"I like this high-output engine. As far as four-cylinder turbo engines go, this is very livable. Good power down low with a decent midrange. It can get moving if you floor the throttle from a stop and it's good as a daily driver. No weird turbo surges. Torque is noticeable throughout the powerband. That said, while the engine delivers good power, it does not sound good. You can vaguely hear a turbo spooling sound, which I find cool, but for the most part, it sounds like a diesel." — Rex Tokeshi-Torres, associate manager of vehicle operations
"I am quite digging the Colorado's turbo-four engine. It's got enough spunk that I'm not lamenting the larger previous-generation V6 engines that are all but gone. It pairs well with the transmission and makes for an easy combo to live with." — Jonathan Elfalan, director, vehicle testing
We wish there were more physical controls on the Colorado
"I really enjoy the Colorado, but I'm bothered by how many controls are pushed into the screen, especially the headlights. What was wrong with the old knob or stalk to the left of the steering wheel? Surely this can't be reducing costs by any meaningful amount. Additionally, it would be really nice to have a physical button to activate the surround-view system, especially when off-road." — Ryan Greger, social media strategist
What do we think of the Colorado's driving aids?
"I wish there were some way to adjust the distance or sensitivity of the forward collision system. As it stands, it's just too sensitive and even when changing lanes in traffic I get pretty constant alerts for driving 'too close' to the car ahead. I get that this is a truck and so it's probably accounting for a longer braking distance, but even some of the more conservative systems I've driven haven't lit up quite as frequently as this one has. I would still like to have the system in place in case I really do need the alert, but at this point, I'm tempted to just turn it off." — Jonathan Elfalan, director, vehicle testing
"Encountered a weird error where adaptive cruise control was 'temporarily unavailable' with no explanation. This persisted over a couple ignition cycles so it wasn't just a momentary quirk. It eventually went away after a day or so, but I still don't understand why it was unavailable to begin with." — Jonathan Elfalan, director, vehicle testing
What do we think of the Colorado's infotainment?
"It's so interesting that the Colorado, which should be a less technologically advanced vehicle than the Chevy Blazer EV, has a far more user-friendly infotainment system. I love that CarPlay still exists yet you also have the benefits of a Google operating system. Take note, Chevrolet: This is the setup that works the best. We're hopeful that Chevy will soon come to its senses and walk back its disastrous plan for a CarPlay-less future.
"The one quirk that I've been noticing with CarPlay is that occasionally it doesn't like when you have the wireless connection enabled and plug in using the USB cable. CarPlay will just stop working until you unplug. I have to use the cable sometimes because the wireless charger doesn't work very well with my phone. Other times it has no issues connecting to CarPlay wirelessly while being plugged in." — Jonathan Elfalan, director, vehicle testing
What do we think of the Chevrolet Colorado's interior?
"What a nice surprise! You don't step into a midsize truck interior expecting nice things, but the new Colorado has come a long way. We specced our truck perfectly with luxurious add-ons like heated and ventilated seats and a heated steering wheel. The design is well-thought-out with durable materials that don't feel too cheap. That's a balance not every truck strikes well.
"In my limited time with the Colorado, there are exactly two things I don't like about its interior. The front seats, even with the heating and cooling, are not the most comfortable things in the world. They're shaped like a bus stop bench with very little bolstering. Atop that, the rear bench is rather upright, which means that passengers might not want to hang out back there for a long road trip.
"But I'll say it again: The new Chevy Colorado's interior is a massive step up from the previous generation. Finally, midsize trucks are starting to feel more like luxury products and less like penalty boxes." — Clint Simone, senior editor
"This is a proper interior. It feels ... finished. Like Chevy put genuine effort into the look and feel of the Colorado's cabin. And guess what? It shows! The material selection is great for a pickup, most of the important controls are in the right place, and everything is easy to use and understand.
"There are also two really high-quality displays, and the infotainment is snappy and darn easy to come to grips with. The design of the menu structure is also nice and easy to follow — we rarely give credit for this, but the UX of an infotainment setup matters a ton. Toyotas have touchscreens now, but their UX feels like it was a high school AP class final project. This feels professionally done and, like the rest of the interior, well-thought-out and carefully considered.
"My only gripe is that the center console is covered in a material that's too rough, like sand paper honestly. Why? A smooth surface is what your elbow wants. Thanks, Chevy." — Nick Yekikkian, news editor
The position of the volume controls on the Colorado is confusing
"Since the volume knob is at the extreme top left of the large screen, it's situated about 6 inches away from the volume controls on the steering wheel. This might be one of the most consternating ergonomics choices I've seen in a vehicle. The passenger has to lean right out of their seat and practically graze the wheel if they want to adjust the volume, but the driver has two options less than hand-width apart. Why?
"This ties in to my larger rant: STEERING WHEEL VOLUME CONTROLS SHOULD ALWAYS BE ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE WHEEL. If my right hand is free to use, I'll just adjust the knob. What's the point of giving my right hand two ways to do the same task? The Colorado just takes it to the next level by shoving the knob right up behind the wheel." — Will Kaufman, manager, video
What do we think of the Colorado?
"I drove our long-term Colorado to give myself a good baseline before driving the first all-new Toyota Tacoma in decades. After all, the Colorado is the strongest competitor the Tacoma has ever had, even if sales numbers don’t reflect it. So driving this new Chevy felt like a prudent move.
"You can read our first impression on the Tacoma here (spoiler alert: new truck > old truck), but I came away from the Colorado genuinely surprised by how much I enjoyed it. It hits all of the important truck high points when it comes to capability, but it also works exceedingly well as a daily driver. On our sometimes-awful Los Angeles freeways it rides surprisingly well, and the rear leaf springs do a good enough job that one wonders if Toyota is overthinking things with the Tacoma’s rear coils. The steering is sharp and accurate in the way trucks usually aren’t, and the brakes have a very positive and confidence-inspiring feel. I guess one downside is that the engine’s monotone blat at full throttle isn’t particularly pleasant, but it’s only intrusive at higher revs.
"It’s nice inside too, with a clearly thought-out interior that really only suffers from some weird textures that make my elbows uncomfortable. OK, and maybe the volume knob could’ve been placed a little bit better.
"But that’s some pretty nitpicky stuff, and overall this is a well-executed midsize pickup. It’s a bummer that it won’t make much of a dent in Tacoma sales because, in a lot of ways, it’s the better vehicle." — Keith Buglewicz, managing editor
"This is the truck for me. Living in an apartment in Los Angeles can be a bit limiting. I have a garage, but I do plenty of street parking when I'm out and about. The Colorado is just the right size for me. A smaller truck like the Ford Maverick might be easier to park, but it's not as capable or as nice to drive as the Chevy. I don't need the bed or rear seat space of a full-size pickup, and attempting to park one of our long-term F-150s in the city can be a pain if you can't find a spot long enough. It's large enough for my dogs or for a couple of bicycles in the bed, and the fuel economy is better than what we'd see in a full-size truck.
"I liked a lot about the last Colorado. It drove well and was sized right, but the interior was cheap and uncomfortable to the point where I just couldn't own one myself. Chevy seemed to have finally got its house in order in recent years as vehicles like the Colorado and Trax are significantly better vehicles than the models they replaced." — Reese Counts, vehicle test editor
